Great Wines and Great Writers are a Wonderful Blend
“Guides to the wide world of wine are many but this is the first book on the market to pair books with wine by an author who is a preeminent expert on both.” —Thriftbooks.com
#1 Best Seller in Wine & Spirits Buying Guides
A fact-filled, jargon free guide to wine, bursting with entertaining anecdotes, literary quotes and compelling humor that teaches you everything you always wanted to learn about wine but were too scared to ask.
The pleasures of great wine and great writers. Under the careful guidance of his father, Patrick Alexander began drinking wine with his meals at the age of five. At the same age, encouraged by his mother, he began a lifelong love-affair with books. The twin pleasures of wine and writing remained his passion up to this day. He has raised his own children in many of the world’s great wine growing regions, from Bordeaux and Piedmont in Europe to the Santa Cruz mountains of California while researching and writing his definitive guide to the novels of Marcel Proust.
History of wine and some of the best wines. For several years, Patrick has been teaching a sold-out wine appreciation class at the nation’s No.1 independent bookstore, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. The Booklovers' Guide to Wine is based on this very successful class and blends Patrick’s passion for the culture and history of wine and his love of literature for the world's great writers. A literary twist on traditional food and wine pairings, this book explores how great wines and great writers can be combined to enhance the enjoyment of both. The book describes the history of wine from the time of Noah to the birth of two-buck Chuck.
If you are a fan of wine books such as Cork Dork, Wine Folly, Wine Simple, or The Wine Bible, and appreciate great literature, you will love The Booklovers’ Guide to Wine.
Patrick Alexander originally developed the Wine Appreciation program when he worked at the University of Miami as Director of the Office of Professional Advancement. In the summer of 2011, after Patrick had left UM in order to focus on writing, Mitchell Kaplan suggested he offer his program at Books & Books during the quiet summer months. “It seems a pity to waste all that research” Mitchell said “and you never know; our book customers might enjoy learning about wine.” Four years, nineteen sold-out classes, and three-hundred satisfied students later, Patrick Alexander's Wine Appreciation Program has become one of the highlights of Books & Books event programming. Previously Director of the Wine Appreciation program at the University of Miami and a judge for the Florida International Wine Challenge, Patrick Alexander has been teaching these wildly popular and critically acclaimed classes at Books & Books for over four years. Patrick is also a published author and his writings include "Marcel Proust’s Search for Lost Time" and "The Nigerian Letter."
Mitchell is a co-founder of Miami Book Fair International and serves as the Chairperson of its Board of Directors. He also serves on the steering committee of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, Miami-Dade College's literary center. Mitchell recently served a two-year term as President of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and continues an active involvement with the organization. He also serves on the Board of ABFFE, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.
